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What Is The Green New Deal?

The Green New Deal is a vision for the United States that transforms its economy away from fossil fuels and toward a carbon-neutral future in a way that urgently addresses the environmental, economic, and existential threats posed by Climate Change.

More than a statement of policies or set of ideas, the Green New Deal is a declaration of three principles that underscore how urgent the climate crisis is, make clear how economically devastating it is already, and demands bold action.

The scientific consensus is that the world has just 12 years to limit the rise in global temperatures to moderate levels (google the IPCC). We only have long-shots left; according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change “there is no documented historic precedent for the action needed” at this moment.

The Green New Deal is an ambitious vision that matches the urgency of the climate crisis.

We cannot ignore the fact that our climate crisis comes at a time of record economic inequality in America. The Green New Deal recognizes that our current carbon-based economy is a key driver of Climate Change, and that if we are going to address Climate Change with the urgency it requires, we must also transform our economy to increase opportunity across our society, while lifting marginal communities that are going to feel the effects of Climate Change worst and first.

Three Principals

The Green New-Deal is based on three core principles:

Decarbonize the economy

The Green New Deal calls for the US to shift to a 100% renewable economy by 2029.

This can be achieved a variety of ways, but must include:

An aggressive plan to wean us off fossil fuels.

Boost renewable sources of energy through grants and public investments, and build a smart grid.

Upgrade America’s buildings through retrofitting and more aggressive energy standards for new buildings. (40% (!) of America’s Greenhouse Gas emissions come from buildings.)

Create a Federal jobs guarantee

A federal jobs guarantee means that anyone who wants a full-time job is guaranteed one by the federal government through public investments in carbon-neutral projects.

A federal jobs guarantee must pay $15/hr, a living wage.

The United States will never convert to a carbon-neutral economy within ten years if it doesn’t invest in its workforce. The best way to do this is through a federal jobs guarantee focused on good green jobs.

At a time of record economic inequality, a federal jobs guarantee is the best way close the wealth gap in this country while leveraging our collective human capital to successfully transition to a carbon neutral economy within 10 years.

Focus on justice

The Green New Deal recognizes that Climate Change is a social justice issue as much as an economic or environmental issue. Marginal communities will feel the effects of Climate Change worse and before communities with more wealth and resources.

A just transition to a carbon-neutral economy includes:

The federal jobs guarantee

Workforce training to support workers to fill green jobs

Strong labor, environmental and nondiscrimination standards

A focus on lead remediation in marginal communities, which have a higher rate of exposure.

What You Can Do

The Green New Deal is a vision to fight Climate Change that matches the urgency of the crisis. It is also a set of principles that should guide the formulation of any policy related to climate change.

Here’s what you can do to help:

Follow this Action Center to stay on top of news and legislative developments, and also to deliver your feedback directly to Congress.

Share this Action Center to your social media pages, especially Twitter and Facebook.

Lobby your representatives - at a local, state, and federal level - to get on board with a Green New Deal. You can use Countable to do this easily :)